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CCFE welcomes European fusion roadmap | 25/01/2013

Head of CCFE Professor Steve Cowley has called the European Fusion Development Agreement's new roadmap document “the path to a fusion future.”

The EFDA roadmap sets out in detail the steps required for Europe to produce electricity from fusion by the year 2050. The work is divided into eight missions, each with plans for three phases: 2014-2020; 2021-2030; and 2031-2050. Starting with Europe's contribution to the construction and operation of the international ITER experiment, it progresses to the prototype fusion powerplant DEMO, with increasing involvement from industry as the technology reaches a commercial stage.

The result is a realistic and achievable plan based on existing funding predictions, which gives CCFE and other fusion laboratories across Europe a clear focus when planning their domestic research programmes.

Professor Cowley said: “EFDA Leader Dr Francesco Romanelli has done a wonderful job in putting the roadmap together. We will play a crucial part in implementing it: firstly, as operator of JET, which has a pivotal role in the roadmap; second as a major participant in ITER; and thirdly in our work to design and prepare DEMO. It is a very good unifying document – one which CCFE is in direct agreement with, and one which will be critical in helping secure funding for fusion research.”